Research sponsored by: Don Sybertz, with special thanks to Rev Joe Healey (African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories)

Imbuki ya kalagu yiniyo ililola Nharanga iyoigahambagwa idinamakolele gayo yuzwa na gupandika jizwalo jingi. Ihali yiniyo igalomelaga higulya ya b’upandiki bho wikaji upya ub’o b’ulinamatwajo mingi.

Ikalagu yiniyo igalenganijiyagwa na wikaji bho ng’wa munhu uyo oliopandika makoye umuwikaji bhokwe, wiyangula kuja nhwani kujuchola sabho na agajipandika. Aho ojipandika agiyangula gushoka kaya.

Abhasuguma bhagalomelaga uwandijo bho kalagu yiniyo bho gutumila jigano ja ng’wa Masanja, ijo jigigelaga mujitabho ijo jandikwa na Padri Joseph G. Healey, ijo jigitanagwa, “JE, MUNGU ANASEMA LUGHA GANI? Uk. 71-72.

Alihoi nsuguma umo uyo witanagwa Masanja. Wikalaga Maswa umu nkoa go Shinyanga (ihaha Simiyu). Umasanja aho otoola na guzenga numba mhya, agandika makoye mingi. Unke okwe agatoroka, ung’wana okwe agazumalika, inumba igagwa, na b’ib’i bhagib’a ing’ombe pye ija ng’wa Masanja. Ohaimanikila obhiza nhabhi. Agiganika giki ologwa.

Umasanja agandya gugwa nholo. Aliyo aha nhalikilo yaho agiyangula gwinga umunkoa go Shinyaga, (ihaha Simiyu) na guja nhwani. Agasumba lugendo guti ng’wilombeleja nulu mhabhi, bho nduhu myenda, nduhu hela, nduhu ginhu jose jose.

Aho oshiga inhwani UMasanja agakwabha. Ahagwandya agapandika nimo na numba.  Ahanuma ya yiniyo agandya iduka lya b’usuluja na hoteli. Agandya gupandika hela ningi. Agazenga numba ya makanza malihu na yab’ageni. Hangi uMasanja agandya jiwanda ja Soda.

Aha nhalikilo, agab’iza nsabhi o sabho ningi. Aliyo adatogilwe ugwikala iDar es Salaam. Kuyiniyo, uMasanja agashoka kaya yake Maswa, ku nkoa go Simiyu na sabho ningi: Maloli, myenda, ginhu ningi na hela ningi.

Kuyiniyo lulu, gufumiila umu jigano jinijo ja ng’wa Masanja, igiza ikalagu yinijo iyoihayile, ‘Oja nhwani aliduhu ugiza ozwalila – Nharanga.’

Ikalagu yiniyo ililanga bhanhu higulya ya kuleka gugwa nholo umuwikaji bhobho. B’ab’ize na wiyumilija bho gwandya gutumama milimo na bhukamu bho guchola uko bhalaipandikile imilimo yiniyo, kugiki bhadule gupandika matwajo mingi umuwikaji bhobho.

Ijinagongeja, ikalagu yiniyo, ililanga bhanhu higulya ya gutumila ubhuguguja bhobho ijinabhugalucha bho uwikaji bhobho b’ub’ize b’ob’upandiki kulebha igwandya.

KITENDAWILI: – TEGA

KALIENDA PWANI UCHI KAKARUDI KAMEVAA – KARANGA

Chanzo cha kitendawili hicho kilanaangalia karanga inayoopandwa ikiwa imetolewa maganda yake, ikaota na kupata vazi jingine. Hali hiyo huelezea juu ya uwepo wa upataji wa maisha mapya yenye mafanikio.

Kitendawili hicho hulinganishwa na maisha ya mtu aliyepata shida maishani mwake akaamua kwenda Dar es Salaamu kwenda kutafuta mali na kuzipata. Baada ya kuzipata aliamua kurudi nyumbani.

Wasukuma hueleza chanzo cha kitendawili hicho kwa kutumia hadithi ya Masanja, inayopatikana kwenye kitabu kilichoandikwa na Padri Joseph G. Healey kiitwacho “JE, MUNGU ANASEMA LUGHA GANI? Uk. 71-72.

Kulikuwa na mkukuma mmoja aliyeitwa Masanja ambaye aliishi Maswa katika mkoa wa Simiyu. Masanja baada ya kuoa na kujenga nyumba mpya, alipata matatizo mengi. Mke wake alitoroka, mtoto mchanga alifariki, nyumba ilianguka na wezi waliiba ng’ombe wote wa masanja. Ghafla alikuwa fukara. Alifikiri kwamba alilogwa.

Masanja alianza kutaka tamaa. Lakini mwishowe aliamua kuondoka Mkoa wa Shinyanga kwa muda (kwa sasa ni Simiyu), na kwenda pwani, yaani Dar es Salaam. Alisafiri kama mwombaji au fukara bila nguo, bila pesa, bila kitu chochote.

Baada ya kufika Dar es Salaam Masanja alibahatika. Kwanza alipata kazi na nyumba. Baada ya muda alianzisha duka la biashara, halafu hoteli. Alianza kupata fedha nyingi. Alijenga nyumba ya kudumu ya kupangisha. Tena Masanja alianzisha kiwanda cha soda.

Mwishowe, alikuwa tajiri mwenye mali nyingi. Lakini hakupenda kuishi Dar es Salaam. Kwa hiyo, Masanja alirudi nyumbani kwake Maswa, Mkoa wa Simiyu na mali nyingi: gari, nguo mpya, vitu vingi na pesa nyingi.

Kwa hiyo, kutokana na hadithi hiyo ya Masanja kikaja kitendawili hicho kisemacho, ‘Alienda pwani uchi akarudi amevaa – Karanga.’

Kitendawili hicho hufundisha watu juu ya kutokata tamaa maishani, badala yake, wawe na bidii ya kuanza kufanya kazi katika maeneo mbali mbali kwa ajili ya kupata mafanikio mengi maishani.

Zaidi ya hayo, kitendawili hicho, hufundisha watu juu ya kutumia ubunifu wa aina mbali mbali kiasi cha kutosha kubadili maisha yao ili yaweze kuwa mazuri zaidi kuliko yale ya mwanzo.

ENGLISH: I HAVE A RIDDLE – LET IT COME

ONE WENT TO THE BEACH NAKED AND CAME BACK DRESSED – GROUNDNUT

Masanja Goes to Dar es Salaam (story in context)

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By Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.

One particular Friday in late March the Christians of Mtakuja Small Christian Community (SCC) in Western Tanzania met to pray together. After the Bible Service Peter the SCC leader said, “We are accustomed to have a “Teaching” after the Bible sharing. But Easter is drawing near. Therefore I will tell the story of Masanja, a Sukuma who lived in Maswa in Shinyanga Region. After getting married and building a new house Masanja got many difficulties. His wife ran away, his youngest child died suddenly, his house fell down and thieves stole all of Masanja’s cows. Suddenly he was a beggar. He thought he had been bewitched.

Masanja started to despair. But finally he decided to leave Simiyu Region, that is the interior of Tanzania, and go to the coast to the city of Dar es Salaam. He travelled as a beggar without clothes, without money, without anything.

After arriving in Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean Masanja started to get lucky. First he found work and a house. After a while he opened a store, then a small hotel. He began to make a lot of money. He built a permanent house that he rented. Then Masanja built a soft drink factory. Finally he became very rich with many possessions. But he didn’t want to live in Dar es Salaam. So he returned to his home in Maswa in Shinyanga Region with great wealth — a car, new clothes, many goods and a lot of money.

After telling this story Peter the SCC leader asked the community members, “What do you think? What does this story of Masanja remind us of?” Immediately a Sukuma woman answered, “This story is similar to a Sukuma riddle.” She said, “I have a riddle,” and Peter answered, “Let it come.” The woman said, “He went to the coast naked and returned fully clothed?” Another Sukuma answered, “Groundnut.” Everyone laughed. Then other community members eagerly joined in the discussion. One woman said, “In my language Kinyamwezi we have a riddle that says: You went far away; you returned with great wealth? The answer is millet.” A Ngoreme youth said, “I remember a riddle in my local language Kingoreme: “I shot my arrow without feathers; it has returned with feathers?” The answer is runner bean.”

Another SCC member named William said, “I think the meaning of all these riddles resembles the example of the groundnut seed that is planted in the earth in order to later sprout. It grows inside of its shell. Afterwards the groundnut’s flowers are showy and very beautiful. This example is also like a verse in Chapter 12 of St. John’s Gospel: “Unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies it remains only a single grain, but if it dies it yields a rich harvest” (John 12: 24).

Then Peter said, “Good. We have heard a fine explanation. But there’s still one more thing. Why have I told this story of Masanja near Easter Sunday?” For a while the SCC members were quiet. Then a widow named Modesta delighted the other Christians by saying, “The story of Masanja and the groundnut riddle and the example of the grain of wheat all resemble the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If a groundnut can be so changed surely the Son of God can rise from the grave in glory. The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Christian faith. In our everyday life we die and rise with him. Jesus Christ and we Christians too are like the seed that is buried in the ground before it can grow and bear fruit.”

Immediately all the community members clapped for this widow. They recognized that she had touched the very heart of the Lenten season and the feast of Easter.

ANOTHER VERSION

The source of the overhead riddle looked at the nuts that were sown. It had been removed from its pods and wore the other garment. The situation describes a presence of successful new life acquisition.

The puzzle is compared to the life of a person who is in trouble. The one decided to go to Dar es Salaam in seeking for material goods. After finding them the one decided to return home.

The sukuma people describe the basis of the above riddle by using the Masanja’s story, which is found in the book written by Rev. Joseph G. Healey, entitled “Je, Mungu anasema Lugha gani?” (Which Language does God say? pp. 71-72.

There was one man named Masanja who lived in Maswa in Simiyu region. Masanja after getting married and building a new home had many problems. His wife escaped, the baby died, the house collapsed and thieves stole all the cows. Suddenly he became poor. He thought that he had been bewiched.

Masanja began to crave. But he finally decided to leave Simiyu Region. He went to Dar es Salaam. He walked as a beggar, without clothes, money, without anything.

After arriving in Dar es Salaam Masanja became luck. First he got a job and a home. In time he set up a business shop, and then a hotel. He began to earn a lot of money. He built a permanent home for rent. Again Masanja introduced a soda factory.

Finally, he was rich in wealthy possessions. But he did not want to live in Dar es Salaam. So Masanja returned to his home at Maswa in Simiyu Region with many possessions: car, new clothes, lots of things and more money.

Therefore, thanks to the Masanja’s story as it explains foundation of overhead riddle that says, ‘He went to Dar es Salaam naked and came back dressed – Nuts.’

The above riddle imparts people not to give up on life, but rather they should work hard in different areas for being more successful in their lives.

Furthermore, the paradox, teaches people about using different forms of creativity enough to change their lives so that they can become more successful than their previous ones.